The
Tax Stimulus Package: Good For Business?
This
past Wednesday President Bush signed into law the much-debated
$168 billion Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. While the main
thrust of the package provides rebate checks to individuals
and couples, it also includes a series of provisions intended
to boost business spending. The bill allows companies to
depreciate 50% of the cost of an asset purchased in 2008.
It also nearly doubles the Section 179 deduction that lets
small businesses expense equipment instead of depreciate
it over time. The limit for this deduction increased to
$250,000 from $128,000 with up to $800,000 in qualifying
equipment purchases, also up from $500,000.

Critics
of the bill are worried that individuals and businesses
won’t spend the rebate money or make additional
purchases, which is the intent of the bill. Jane Kanoy,
president of Cousin’s Advertising Inc. (asi/169465)
in Thomasville, NC, has mixed feelings about the package.
The depreciation increase will help with the new phone
system and computer she is planning on purchasing, but
the package won’t encourage her to make any additional
purchases this year. “In the long run, it will
put more money in the purchase stream because the money
I save on taxes I’ll put back into my business,” she
says. “But I’m not going to start buying
more things because of it. I think that would be foolish
in the kind of economy that we are living in today.”

Michael
Hicks, president of Forney, TX-based Best Promotions
USA LLC (asi/40344), formed the company back
in June and is still in the process of building up the
business. He calls the package’s benefits a very
welcome surprise. “It’s not going to affect
my decision at all this year because I am ramping up,” he
says. “But the package is going to save us some
money. That’s no question. When it comes the end
of the year, it will be a somewhat significant tax savings
for us. That money will go right back into our working
capital and allow us to grow even more. So it’s
definitely a good thing.”

Corporate
Express Rejects Staples’ Buyout OfferCorporate
Express NV, the parent company of Corporate Express Promotional
Marketing (asi/168786),
quickly rejected an unsolicited buyout offer from Staples of
$3.67 billion. The deal included an all-cash bid for the Netherlands-based
office-supplier company that equaled 7.25 euros or $10.63 per
share. Staples said the offer represented a 67% premium to Corporate
Express share price according to the pre-rumor share price on
February 4, compared with the European market closing price yesterday
in which it represented just 33%.

Corporate
Express confirmed the offer in a brief statement issued early
this afternoon, saying the proposal “significantly undervalues
the company.” It went on to say that the proposal would
not be in the best interests of its shareholders or in the
direction of their current strategy. On news of the rejection
share price rose $2.50 to $10.59.

Four
Iron Development Acquires Hooper ConceptsFour Iron Development Group, a Dayton, OH-based
partnership comprised of Rough Air Associates and Acorn
Enterprises, has acquired Hooper Concepts (asi/226466),
a 19-year-old ad specialty distributor located in the same
state. The move is part of the buyer’s plan to purchase
small, regional businesses with a potential for growth.
Vince Lewis, chairman of the local investment group, said
the transaction was settled in cash, although he wouldn’t
specify the exact amount.

“This
is our first venture into this industry,” Lewis says of the
distributor firm, which now joins 14 other businesses housed inside
the Rough Air Small Business Center, a 10,000-square-feet commercial
facility. “We saw an opportunity in the combination of their
production and distribution capabilities,” he adds.

Charles
Dickerson, CEO of Hooper Concepts, says the transition into new
ownership will allow him and his spouse, Jane, to concentrate on family
priorities. “My wife sold the company because between the
1st of March and the 7th of June, we will have four additional
grandchildren,” he says.

Lewis says
the name Hooper Concepts will remain, as it has a strong brand
recognition in the community. Jane Dickerson will continue to serve
in a sales capacity. Four Iron Development is looking to bring
on four to six more sales reps in the coming months, Lewis says.

The
Joe Show: It's In The BagIn this installment of The Joe Show, Counselor Managing
Editor Joe Haley shows off some of the newest non-woven
polypropylene bags. Do you have clients who are in the
grocery or trade show markets? Then this Joe Show episode
is for you. Click
hereto watch

Supplier
Launches “Tangle in Schools” ProgramTangle
(asi/90534), the San Francisco, CA-based supplier
best known for its fidget-stopping, stress-reducing and creativity-enhancing
gadget, the Tangle, had moved into the education sector with
its latest “Tangle in Schools” program.

The initiative is
part of the company’s mission to help
children of all ages engage in active, hands-on learning through
its newest publication, Teaching with Tangle Brain Tools:
The Playful Path to Meaningful Learning, co-authored with
Angela Searcy, whose research focuses on how the brain learns.

The
program incorporates these and other related scientific findings
with fun Tangle classroom activities for students in Pre-K to grade
six and individuals with special needs. The publication also has
tips and resources for how to get funding to purchase Tangles as
school equipment.

“We love the
fact that the world is discovering the positive brain effects of Tangle
as a fidget-friendly device … and it’s proof of how manipulative,
groovy toys can be fun and brain tools, too,” says Richard Zawitz,
the toy’s inventor and CEO of Tangle Creations. “This book
has tons of ideas and we’re hoping teachers and students will
dream up more of their own.”

CorrectionsIn The Distributor Choice Awards semifinalist section of the February
issue, Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125) was incorrectly
omitted from the listings. The company is a four-star supplier and qualified
as a semifinalist in the Distributor Choice Awards program. Counselor regrets
the omission.

Crystal D (asi/47759) won two gold and one silver
award at the 2008 PPAI awards ceremony.

The Dri Duck Traders’ (asi/50835) brand was
featured on Car #21 driven by Bobby Labonte during last weekend’s
Nationwide Series race, Camping World 300, presented by Chevrolet.

Felber & Felber
Marketing (asi/346325) creative
director Bruce Felber was elected president of the Streetsboro,
OH area’s Chamber of Commerce.

It’s All Greek
To Me (asi/62960), a subsidiary
of Corvest SPV LLC, has begun its relocation from Simi Valley,
CA, to a brand new, 250,000-square-foot facility in Largo,
FL. The move is part of Corvest’s plan for increasing
capacity and achieving greater inventory space.

River’s End Trading Company’s
(asi/82588)
2008 catalog features new brands such as American Apparel (asi/35297)
and illumiNITE and a variety of styles.

People
On The MoveBag Makers (asi/37940)
promoted Crystal Hitzeman to manager of the supplier’s ColorVista
imprint processes team. Stephen Witt was elevated to assistant
supervisor of order processing.

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LESS THAN TWO MONTHS TO ASI
LAS VEGAS – FREEREG DEADLINE
IS MARCH 14
The industry's longest-running show in Las Vegas — ASI
Las Vegas (April 9-11) — is
less than two months away and excitement is building. Celebrating
its 10th anniversary, ASI Las Vegas will deliver an action-packed,
three-day schedule, featuring 600 innovative suppliers (many
not found at other industry events) more than 45 top-notch education
sessions, inspiring Keynote presentations and spectacular networking
events like a private magic and comedy show by Las Vegas legends
Penn & Teller (sponsored by SnugZ USA, asi/88060) and the acclaimed Beatles
LOVE by Cirque du Soleil.

Register today and reserve your hotel room at www.asishow.com.
Remember, the free registration deadline for ASI distributor
members is March 14 so don’t delay.

EXCITEMENT
BUILDS FOR ASINEWYORK — SHOW SOLD
OUT!With each
passing week, excitement and enthusiasm for ASI
New York (May 6-8) continues to grow for
the first and only major industry tradeshow in New York City.
In fact, exhibit space for ASI New York is now sold out with
a wait list available. Located
in one of the world’s leading business and tourism
destinations, TheASI Show New York
will offer an action-packed, three-day schedule, featuring
top, innovative suppliers, dozens of free cutting-edge
education sessions, free Keynote presentations and daily, interactive
networking events at some of New York City’s leading
hot spots. ASI New York will also feature special events such
as tickets to the Broadway musical Hairspray
(sponsored by SnugZ USA, asi/88060) and the prestigious Counselor Awards.
In addition, ASI distributor members will be able to enjoy
a number of benefits, including a free hotel room on the first
night of exhibits or a $50 travel reimbursement.